Dear Reader,

This week’s newsletter turns to the Easter Rising of 1916 and the events that shaped it. We begin with the wider political and cultural climate that led to the Proclamation, before looking more closely at the General Post Office, Patrick Pearse, and the women who played active roles in the rebellion. Each section builds on the last, offering a clear, grounded look at how Ireland reached that pivotal week in April.

By April 1916, Ireland had reached a point shaped by decades of political tension, cultural revival, and international upheaval.

Throughout the nineteenth century, Irish political life was dominated by constitutional nationalism and campaigns for legislative independence from Westminster. The movement for Home Rule sought limited self-government within the United Kingdom. After prolonged debate and resistance, the Third Home Rule Bill was passed in 1914 but suspended with the outbreak of the First World War.

At the same time, a separate current of thought had developed. Cultural nationalism, expressed through the Gaelic League, the Gaelic Athletic Association, and literary revival movements, promoted Irish language, history, and identity. Parallel to this cultural revival, small revolutionary organisations maintained the belief that full independence, rather than devolved government, was the ultimate objective.

The formation of the Irish Volunteers in 1913, followed by the split over participation in the First World War, created a smaller but committed body prepared to act. The Irish Citizen Army, established during the 1913 Dublin Lockout, also remained organised and armed. Within these circles, planning moved from rhetoric toward action.

International conditions influenced timing. The First World War stretched British military resources, while German assistance was explored, though ultimately limited. A planned nationwide mobilisation was reduced after countermanding orders and the interception of German arms.

Against this backdrop, a decision was taken to proclaim an Irish Republic. The Proclamation asserted Ireland’s right to sovereignty, declared equal rights and equal opportunities for all citizens, and addressed both “Irishmen and Irishwomen.” It framed the rebellion not as a regional revolt, but as the assertion of a national claim.

The events of Easter Week did not arise suddenly. They were the culmination of political frustration, cultural assertion, and a conviction among a minority that constitutional progress alone would not achieve full independence.

Patrick Pearse was born in Dublin on 10 November 1879. Educated at the Christian Brothers School and later at University College Dublin, he trained as a barrister but became better known as a teacher, writer, and political activist. He was deeply involved in the Gaelic Revival and served as editor of An Claidheamh Soluis, the newspaper of the Gaelic League, promoting Irish language and culture.

In 1908, Pearse founded St Enda’s School in Rathfarnham, an Irish-language school influenced by his belief that education should foster national consciousness. His writings increasingly reflected a belief in physical-force republicanism, particularly after the Third Home Rule Bill stalled and the outbreak of the First World War altered political conditions.

Pearse became a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and a leading figure in the Irish Volunteers. He was part of the Military Council that planned the Easter Rising of April 1916. On Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, he read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic outside the General Post Office in Dublin and was named President of the Provisional Government.

After six days of fighting, Pearse authorised surrender to prevent further civilian casualties as British artillery fire intensified in the city. He was court-martialled and executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol on 3 May 1916.

At the time of the Rising, public opinion in Ireland was mixed, and in some areas hostile. The executions of Pearse and other leaders contributed significantly to a shift in sentiment that reshaped Irish political life in the years that followed.

Women were active participants in the Easter Rising, though their roles were often marginalised in later retellings.

Cumann na mBan, established in 1914 as an auxiliary to the Irish Volunteers, had a defined organisational structure by 1916. During the Rising, its members carried dispatches across the city, often moving between garrisons under fire. They transported arms and ammunition, organised food supplies, staffed first aid stations, and maintained communication links that allowed the various positions to function.

Constance Markievicz served at St Stephen’s Green and later inside the Royal College of Surgeons as second-in-command to Michael Mallin of the Irish Citizen Army. She was involved in the defence of the position and was present at the surrender. Following court-martial, she was sentenced to death, a sentence commuted to life imprisonment because she was a woman. She was released in 1917 under the general amnesty.

Other women, including Margaret Skinnider, Winifred Carney, and Kathleen Clarke, were directly involved in combat support, administration, or political organisation. Winifred Carney remained inside the General Post Office with James Connolly and served as his secretary and aide.

After the surrender, more than seventy women were arrested and detained in prisons in Ireland and Britain. Although they were not executed, their participation formed part of how the Rising operated in practice. Their work was logistical, disciplined, and central to sustaining the week-long rebellion.

Yeah. That Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So do Codie Sanchez, Scott Galloway, Colin & Samir, Shaan Puri, and Jay Shetty. And none of them are doing it for fun. They're doing it because a list you own compounds in ways that social media never will.

beehiiv is where they built it. You can start yours for 30% off your first 3 months with code PLATFORM30. Start building today.

The General Post Office in Dublin was constructed between 1814 and 1818 to the design of architect Francis Johnston. By 1916, it stood on Sackville Street, the principal thoroughfare of the city, making it a prominent and symbolic location.

On Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, members of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army occupied the building and established it as the headquarters of the Rising. Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic outside its main entrance. Inside, the GPO functioned as the central command post for the rebel leadership, including Pearse, James Connolly, and other signatories of the Proclamation.

As British forces reinforced their position, artillery was brought into the city. Shelling began later in the week, and fires spread through the building. By Friday, much of the interior had been destroyed. The leadership evacuated through a breach into adjoining buildings before surrendering on Saturday, 29 April.

The facade of the GPO survived, but the interior was extensively damaged. The building was reconstructed in the 1920s and reopened as a post office in 1929. Today, it continues to operate as a working postal headquarters and houses a permanent exhibition on the events of 1916.

The events of Easter Week continue to shape how Ireland understands its past. Each part of this story carries weight and complexity. Thank you for taking the time to read, reflect, and engage with this chapter of Irish history.